Paula Sullivan talks as sweet as the treats she sells at Sully & Vanilla, the bakery business she started in 2018.
Sullivan, a mother of two who speaks with a warm tone and positive attitude, announced on Tuesday she is giving 100% of proceeds from her Rosh Hashanah baked goods to a cause that is close to her heart, a movement called #EndJewHatred. The legal defense team, the Lawfare Project, started #EndJewHatred in 2021 to help end antisemitism.
“I have so many Jewish friends in my community,” said Sullivan, who lives on the Upper East Side. “I’m Irish Catholic; that’s how I grew up. I can’t imagine my community of people — a whole community — being targeted — just because of who they are.”
Sullivan said she found out about #EndJewHatred through a neighborhood friend who runs Bad Ass Moms (BAM), another organization on the Upper East Side that fundraises to fight antisemitism while teaching self-defense.
Lyss Stern, one of the founders of BAM, said her heart filled with emotion when Sullivan approached her about using her baking talents to support the fight against antisemitism.
“When Paula reached out to me, I had the chills. The chills literally came over my body,” Stern, who is Jewish, said. “It was the first time in almost a year anyone reached out to me. I’ve had friends who are not Jewish reach out to check in, but very few. The only friend or business associate that I know that reached out and said, ‘I want to do something for your community‘ was Paula.”
The baking extraordinaire, known for rainbow cakes sold in stores throughout the city, said she has not stopped thinking about the atrocities of Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists stormed Israel, killing more than 1,000 and taking hundreds of others hostage.
“It horrifies me as a mom, as a person,” she said.
The role of desserts during Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year
Sullivan has been whipping up deliciousness all week in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Some of the holiday-themed treats she is baking include an array of buttercream cookies and cake pops.
She has no storefront, but customers can browse products and place their orders off the Sully & Vanilla website. All the baking takes place, and the orders are shipped from a commercial site in the South Bronx.
A normal day at the factory is usually bustling, but Sullivan’s staff of three bakers has been especially busy this week. Both the cookies and the cake pops have been especially popular. Some are decorated in cute bee and apple themes, symbolizing honey and sweetness often used in Jewish desserts.
“Rosh Hashanah’s timeless tradition of apples and honey beautifully weaves nutrition and symbolism; as we dip the apples into honey, our spirits soar with the aspiration for a life overflowing with sweetness and blessings in the year ahead,” Stern explained.
Although Sullivan’s treats are not kosher, they are still selling out. In just two days since she announced the benefit, her already busy bakery has been inundated with calls and emails to fill orders. It is hard to say what the total amount raised for #EndJewHatred is yet, but Sullivan said she is grateful for any amount she gets to support the fight against antisemitism.
“Not that any of this is about me, because it’s not, but it’s making me feel so good to be able to do something. I feel like I can be a part of the cause,” she said, adding that she encourages anyone who is an ally of the Jewish community to speak out about antisemitism in the city or beyond.
Meanwhile, as a lover of desserts and one who celebrates the Jewish New Year, Stern said she will enjoy her holiday — and the treats that come with it.
“I’m personally indulging in all the apple, honey and challah I can, seeking an abundance of sweet blessings for my beloved Jewish community this new year,” she said.
